3 Castles Bran.Peles.Cantacuzino and Rasnov fortress in one day from Brasov

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Peles Castle, Str. Pelesului 2, Sinaia 106100 Romania

Peleș Castle was built at the initiative of the first King of Romania, Carol I, outside the perimeter of the commune of Podul Neagului, a locality with a surface of 24 km in 1874, year in which, on the initiative of the sovereign, the commune receives the name of Sinaia. A year later, in the center of the village are built the first Boeresti houses, and in 1876 the construction of the railway Ploiești - Predeal, which crosses Sinaia, also begins. At the same time, between 1873 and 1875 the foundation of Peleș Castle was built. The ceremony for laying the foundation stone of the residence was held in a festive setting on August 10/22, 1875.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle), Str. General Traian Mosoiu nr. 24, Bran 507025 Romania

Initially Bran Castle (in the Slavic language means "gate") was a fortress known as Dietrichstein, built by the Order of the Teutonic Knights in 1212, which was conquered by the Saxons towards the end of the 13th century.

The first documentary attestation is from 1377 when the Brasovians received, from Louis I d 'Anjou, the right to raise the fortress to the place of the former fortress. Then, between 1419-1424 he came into Sigismund's possession.

At the end of the 15th century it was subordinated to the Szekler committee and under the rule of Iancu de Hunedoara it passed under the leadership of the Transylvanian Voivodeship.

Bran Castle - Dracula Castle
Bran castle.
On December 1, 1920, Bran Castle was donated to Queen Mary of Greater Romania, as a sign of gratitude from the city of Brasov for its contribution to the Great Union from 1918. Immediately after that, for 7 years, the Castle entered a period of restoration, under the leadership of the architect of the Royal Court, Carol Liman. It designed the ensemble as a summer residence. Also during this period the Tea House was built. During these works, the castle was equipped with running water from a fountain dug in the rock, 57 meters deep and illuminated from an electric turbine plant. From this plant were then electrified, in 1932, the villages Bran, Simon and Moeciu. Then, in 1938, Queen Maria left Bran Castle as the inheritance of Princess Ileana, who ruled it until 1948.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Cantacuzino Castle, Zamora Street 1, Busteni 105500 Romania

  The Cantacuzino Castle in Busteni, of great architectural, historical, documentary and artistic value, was built in 1911 at the request of Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino (Nababul), former Minister of Romania between 1899-1900, 1904-1907.

The castle, built in the Neo-Romanian style, is surrounded by a park whose alleys lead you to waterfalls, artesian fountains and a cave. The building was built in stone and brick according to the plans of the architect Grigore Cerchez and covers an area of ​​3148 square meters.

The decorative repertoire gives the interior a pronounced romantic character. Stained glass windows, stucco masonry, consoles, ceilings with exposed and painted beams, railings made of wood, stone or wrought iron, cast iron bronze and richly ornamented, represent a mastery of artistic craftsmanship. Fireplaces made of white stone, decorated with polychrome mosaics, fill the atmosphere of boyar residence, increasing the value of the edifice.

The castle has a collection of heraldry representing the coat of arms of the families of boyars enrolled with the Cantacuzinos and a frieze of votive paintings with the illustrious members of the Cantacuzino family from the mountain branch.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Cetatea Râșnov, Strada Cetății 17, Râșnov 505400, Romania

Rasnov Fortress - one of the best preserved peasant fortresses in Transylvania was built by the inhabitants of Rasnov (it seems with the help of Cristian and Vulcan), to defend against the more frequent attacks of the Turkish and Tatar hordes from the 13th century. 14. The fortress being built by the peasants in the area does not have an architectural style established the most important criterion in construction was that the fortress be as difficult to conquer. Thus it was built of stone and brick on a rocky hill near the city. The walls have an irregular path, they have heights up to 5 meters and width at 1.5 meters. The fortress towers and walls were covered with tiles to prevent possible fires caused by the besiegers.

The fortress has two courtyards, one outside where a square tower called the Old Tower is located and where the animals were housed, and one inside.

The work of the craftsmen did not remain without results, on the occasion of the navalization of the Tatars in the Barsa Country in the 13th century, the only fortresses that remained undiscovered were those of Braşov and Râşnov. Due to the fact that the fortress has a water source inside - a 143 meter deep fountain, the refugees here could face long sieges by the attackers, eventually giving up the siege. Thus the Rasnov Fortress has acquired a reputation as a fortress.

In connection with the fountain inside there is a legend (similar to the one from the Huniazilor Castle). Thus, the legend says that during a siege, the Rânnovians put two Turkish prisoners to dig a fountain in the middle of the fortress and assured them that once they have finished the fountain they will be let go. The prisoners dug the fountain for 17 years while writing verses from the Koran on its walls (visible today). Their fate is not clear, some say that they would have been let go and others that they would have been executed after the end of the fountain.

Râşnov fortress lasted many years even after the last siege of 1690, in 1718 it was partially destroyed by a fire and in 1802 it was damaged by an earthquake. During the revolution of 1821 and that of 1848 many revolutionaries took refuge in the fortress.

Currently Râşnov Fortress is restored and can be visited by having a restaurant and a wide range of tourist services being a positive example regarding the restoration and maintenance of the cities of Transylvania. As a unique aspect, tourists have the opportunity to admire the extensive Depression of Brasov and Bârsei Land through the binoculars installed in the fortress

Duration: 1 hour